NEWARK — It has been more than a year since Ronald Salahuddin was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion in federal court in Trenton.

The former Deputy Mayor of Newark will face Judge Freda Wolfson on Feb. 11 for sentencing, said Matthew Reilly, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Sentencing was originally scheduled for January 2012, but for unknown reasons the deputy mayor's punishment for conspiring to steer city demolition contracts to an FBI informant was delayed. Salahuddin, and co-conspirator Sonnie Cooper, could face up to 20 years in prison

Now, as Newark Mayor Cory Booker enters the first stages of a Senatorial campaign, the sentencing of his former deputy threatens to dredge up bad memories of the early days of Booker's mayoral tenure.

Booker was never accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Salahuddin and testified at his trial.

Salahuddin, who was the deputy mayor for public safety in Newark, was caught on numerous FBI video and audio surveillance tapes meeting with Nicholas Mazzocchi, once one of the state's biggest demolition contractors.

After getting caught allegedly bribing numerous public officials, Mazzocchi turned federal informant and traveled the state looking for crooked government officials on behalf of the FBI.

Salahuddin was shown soliciting donations from Mazzocchi to Newark Now, the charity founded by Booker, allegedly at the behest of Pablo Fonseca, Booker's former chief of staff.